University of St. Thomas seniors competed in the Undergraduate Business Case Competition on Aug. 2. Three four-member teams, comprised of students completing their capstone course in the Bachelor of Business Administration program in the Cameron School of Business, presented their analyses of the LEGO Group’s current challenges and opportunities along with recommended solutions.

The capstone course is a culmination of all the classes that a student takes in the BBA program, ranging from accounting to marketing to finance. Participants were able to exercise the concepts they learned in their business classes and apply them to an in-depth analysis while presenting their findings in a business environment.

Dr. Barry Wilbratte, CSB interim dean, and Jinsu Kim, an MBA student, presented a $400 check to the winning team of Nathalie Cras, Erika Marcial, Luis Pedroza and Hally Vu. Following the award presentation, the panel of expert judges, Kim, Brandon Holesovsky, Kara Ary and Joshua Rowan, shared their experiences in the corporate world as Houston-area business professionals.

“They all did very well,” Kim said. “You could tell each team put in a lot of work and effort. The quality of their power points and presentations made the judging difficult.”

Kim, who had competed in the competition in the past, led the charge in making this summer’s Case Competition a reality. After hearing the Case Competition would not be offered for the summer session, he spoke to Dr. Beena George, associate dean of assessment and undergraduate business programs, and offered $100 as prize money for the winning team. Dr. Wilbratte offered an additional $300 as prize money. With the support of George and Wilbratte, Kim was able to gain student interest in the competition.

“I really enjoyed Dr. George’s senior seminar course and the Case Competition when I was an undergraduate,” Kim said. “I wanted to make sure other students had the opportunity to have that experience as well.”

University of St. Thomas
The University of St. Thomas, dedicated to educating leaders of faith and character, is a private institution committed to the liberal arts and to the religious, ethical and intellectual tradition of Catholic higher education. St. Thomas is Houston’s only Catholic University and was founded by the Basilian Fathers in 1947.